School of Humanities & Social Sciences

Total Page:16

File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb

School of Humanities & Social Sciences SCHOOL OF HUMANITIES & SOCIAL SCIENCES DIPLOMACY IN THE CONGO CONFLICT: AN ANALYSIS OF THE EFFORTS FROM 2001-2018 BY MUNGA ANNABEL WANGUI 633498 A RESEARCH PROJECT SUBMITTED IN PARTIAL FULFILMENT OF THE REQUIREMENTS FOR THE AWARD OF A MASTER OF ARTS IN INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS AT USIU-AFRICA SUMMER 2019 i Declaration by the student This research study is my original work and has not been presented to any other examination body. No part of this research should be reproduced without my consent or that of the United States International University- Africa (USIU-A). Signature ____________________ Date___/____/ Munga Annabel Wangui Student Identification No. 633498 This research has been submitted for defence with my approval as a graduate school supervisor at USIU-A. Signature ____________________ Date ___/____/ Mr. Leonard Maumo (Supervisor) Signature ____________________ Date ___/____/ Prof. Martin C. Njoroge Dean, School of Humanities and Social Sciences Signature ____________________ Date ___/____/ Amb. Ruthie Rono Deputy Vice Chancellor, Academic Affairs ii Dedication I dedicate this work to all those who genuinely seek a peaceful and prosperous Africa, both in academia and policy. I also dedicate it to who have suffered continuously in the face of crisis in Congo and Africa as a whole yet still hope for a brighter future. We shall overcome. iii Acknowledgments I am most grateful to God for enabling me to start and complete this task. I am also indebted to my precious parents, Peter and Nellie Munga for their patience and encouragement through the process. Thank you so much Wycliffe Abok for guiding me through the research journey. I appreciate my larger group of friends who have cheered me on days I would have given up- I am eternally grateful to Winnie Musau, Juliet Mwende, Fancy Kirui, Maryanne Mumbi, Loice Meyo, Joseph Riak, Grace Muchiri, Mark Kolo and the entire Activate team. You have all come through in such beautiful, diverse ways to make the process so much easier. Lastly, I am so grateful to my professors who walked with me in different phases of the research, most especially Mr. Leonard Maumo who patiently yet thoroughly walked with me through every stage. God bless you mighty. iv Table of Contents Declaration by the student ............................................................................................................... ii Dedication ....................................................................................................................................... iii Acknowledgments........................................................................................................................... iv List of Figures ............................................................................................................................... viii List of Tables .................................................................................................................................. ix Abbreviations ................................................................................................................................... x Abstract .......................................................................................................................................... xii CHAPTER ONE .............................................................................................................................. 1 1.0 INTRODUCTION ..................................................................................................................... 1 1.1 Background of the Study ........................................................................................................... 1 1.1.1 Succession of Leadership after colonialism ........................................................................ 5 1.2 Problem Statement ........................................................................................................... 6 1.3 Objectives of the Study .................................................................................................... 7 1.4 Research Questions .......................................................................................................... 7 1.5 Purpose of the Study ........................................................................................................ 7 1.6 Significance of the Study ................................................................................................. 8 1.7 Scope of the Study ........................................................................................................... 8 1.8 Organization of Study ...................................................................................................... 8 1.9 Chapter Summary .................................................................................................................. 9 CHAPTER TWO ........................................................................................................................... 10 2.0 LITERATURE REVIEW ........................................................................................................ 10 2.1 Introduction .......................................................................................................................... 10 2.1.1 Causes of Conflict in Congo ......................................................................................... 12 2.2 The Role of International Organizations to resolve the Congo conflict .............................. 29 2.3 The United Nations .............................................................................................................. 31 2.4 The African Union ............................................................................................................... 35 2.5 Role played by neighbouring countries to fuel or resolve conflict ...................................... 38 2.5.1 Neighbouring countries as a source of continued instability in Congo ......................... 40 2.6 Role of religious institutions in the Congo war ................................................................... 45 2.6.1 The Role of the Church in the Congo Conflict ............................................................. 48 2.8 The role of SADC in the Congo Crisis ................................................................................ 51 2.9 Chapter Summary ................................................................................................................ 55 v CHAPTER THREE ....................................................................................................................... 56 3.0 RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODOLOGY ............................................................... 56 3.1 Introduction .......................................................................................................................... 56 3.2 Research Design................................................................................................................... 56 3.3 Data Collection .................................................................................................................... 57 3.4 Data Analysis and Presentation............................................................................................ 58 3.5 Chapter Summary ................................................................................................................ 58 CHAPTER FOUR .......................................................................................................................... 59 4.0 DATA ANALYSIS .................................................................................................................. 59 4.1 Introduction .............................................................................................................................. 59 4.2 The AU-led 2002 Inter-Congolese Dialogue ........................................................................... 59 4.2.1 Outcomes of the 2002 Inter-Congolese Dialogue ............................................................. 62 4.2.2 Follow-up work and Commitments: Political Agreement on Consensual Management (PACMT) ............................................................................................................................... 64 4.3 The SADC-led 2013 Regional Pact for Peace and Security Negotiations ............................... 66 4.3.1 Outcomes of the 2013 Regional Peace and Security Pact ............................................. 68 4.3.2 Follow-up and Commitments to the Framework .......................................................... 74 4.4 The church-led 2017 CENCO mediation ............................................................................. 75 Table 4.3 Role of International Organizations in the resolution of the Congo Crisis ............ 80 4.6 Chapter Summary .................................................................................................................... 81 CHAPTER FIVE ........................................................................................................................... 82 5.0 CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATIONS ..................................................................... 82 5.1 Summary .................................................................................................................................. 82 5.2 Conclusions ...................................................................................................................... 85 5.2.1 The AU-led 2002 Inter-Congolese Dialogue ...............................................................
Recommended publications
  • Congo's Elections and Its Political Landscape: Some Key-Insights
    ANALYSIS AND POLICY BRIEF N°33 December 2018 Congo’s elections and its political landscape: some key-insights On 23 of December, Congo is scheduled to go to the polls to choose their next president, as well as national and provincial representatives. For the presidential elections, they will face the choice between Joseph Kabila’s handpicked successor Emmanuel Ramazani Shadary and 20 other candidates. Total reading time: 10 mins Changing alliances in DRC Shadary is backed by the Front Commun pour le Congo (FCC, Common Front for the Congo) – a newly formed electoral pact consisting of several heavyweights in politics, business and academia. Shadary is heavily handicapped as he’s not only seen as a continuation of Joseph Kabila’s seventeen-year unpopular rule, but importantly, he lacks a strong independent political and financial base. However, despite these disadvantages, Shadary’s chances may have increased drastically with the recent dynamics within the opposition: barely 24 hours after the formation of an electoral pact and announcing Martin Fayulu as their common candidate, Felix Tshisekedi and Vital Kamerhe Kristof Titeca withdrew their support and formed their own electoral pact, CACH. Institute of Development Policy, University of Antwerp Based on our research on access to political positions in the DRC, we will [email protected] explain how these quickly changing alliances are not an exception, but a key- feature of the Congolese political landscape. In order to do so, this briefing James Thamani first gives an overview of the central dynamics of the Congolese political Analyst based in Kinshasa landscape, and then situates the current electoral dynamics within it.
    [Show full text]
  • Dismissed! Victims of 2015-2018 Brutal Crackdowns in the Democratic Republic of Congo Denied Justice
    DISMISSED! VICTIMS OF 2015-2018 BRUTAL CRACKDOWNS IN THE DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF CONGO DENIED JUSTICE Amnesty International is a global movement of more than 7 million people who campaign for a world where human rights are enjoyed by all. Our vision is for every person to enjoy all the rights enshrined in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and other international human rights standards. We are independent of any government, political ideology, economic interest or religion and are funded mainly by our membership and public donations. © Amnesty International 2020 Except where otherwise noted, content in this document is licensed under a Creative Commons Cover photo: “Dismissed!”. A drawing by Congolese artist © Justin Kasereka (attribution, non-commercial, no derivatives, international 4.0) licence. https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/legalcode For more information please visit the permissions page on our website: www.amnesty.org Where material is attributed to a copyright owner other than Amnesty International this material is not subject to the Creative Commons licence. First published in 2020 by Amnesty International Ltd Peter Benenson House, 1 Easton Street London WC1X 0DW, UK Index: AFR 62/2185/2020 Original language: English amnesty.org CONTENTS 1. EXECUTIVE SUMMARY 7 2. METHODOLOGY 9 3. BACKGROUND: POLITICAL CRISIS 10 3.1 ATTEMPTS TO AMEND THE CONSTITUTION 10 3.2 THE « GLISSEMENT »: THE LONG-DRAWN-OUT ELECTORAL PROCESS 11 3.3 ELECTIONS AT LAST 14 3.3.1 TIMELINE 15 4. VOICES OF DISSENT MUZZLED 19 4.1 ARBITRARY ARRESTS, DETENTIONS AND SYSTEMATIC BANS ON ASSEMBLIES 19 4.1.1 HARASSMENT AND ARBITRARY ARRESTS OF PRO-DEMOCRACY ACTIVISTS AND OPPONENTS 20 4.1.2 SYSTEMATIC AND UNLAWFUL BANS ON ASSEMBLY 21 4.2 RESTRICTIONS OF THE RIGHT TO SEEK AND RECEIVE INFORMATION 23 5.
    [Show full text]
  • Democratic Republic of Congo Public Disclosure Authorized Systematic Country Diagnostic
    Report No. 112733-ZR Democratic Republic of Congo Public Disclosure Authorized Systematic Country Diagnostic Policy Priorities for Poverty Reduction and Shared Prosperity in a Post-Conflict Country and Fragile State March 2018 Africa Region Public Disclosure Authorized Public Disclosure Authorized Document of the World Bank Public Disclosure Authorized IDA (International IFC (International MIGA (Multilateral Development Association) Finance Corporation) Investment Guaranty Agency) Vice President: Makhtar Diop Snezana Stoiljkovic Keiko Honda Director: Jean-Christophe Carret Cheikh Oumar Seydi Merli Baroudi Task Team Leaders: Emmanuel Pinto Moreira (TTL) Adamou Labara (TTL) Petal Jean Hackett Chadi Bou Habib (Co-TTL) Babacar Sedikh Faye (Co-TTL) Franck M. Adoho (Co-TTL) This report was prepared by a World Bank Group team led by Emmanuel Pinto Moreira (Lead Economist and Program leader EFI (Equitable Growth, Finance, and Institutions), and TTL (Task Team Leader), including Adamou Labara (Country Manager and TTL), Babacar Sedikh Faye (Resident Representative and Co-TTL), Franck M. Adoho (Senior Economist and Co-TTL), Chadi Bou-Habib (Lead Economist and Program leader EFI, and Co-TTL), Laurent Debroux (Program Leader), Luc Laviolette (Program Leader), Andreas Schiessler (Lead Transport Specialist), Alexandre Dossou (Senior Transport Specialist), Jerome Bezzina (Senior Regulatory Economist), Malcolm Cosgroves-Davies (Lead Energy Specialist), Pedro Sanchez (Lead Energy Specialist), Manuel Luengo (Senior Energy Specialist), Anas Benbarka (Senior
    [Show full text]
  • The Executive Survey General Information and Guidelines
    The Executive Survey General Information and Guidelines Dear Country Expert, In this section, we distinguish between the head of state (HOS) and the head of government (HOG). • The Head of State (HOS) is an individual or collective body that serves as the chief public representative of the country; his or her function could be purely ceremonial. • The Head of Government (HOG) is the chief officer(s) of the executive branch of government; the HOG may also be HOS, in which case the executive survey only pertains to the HOS. • The executive survey applies to the person who effectively holds these positions in practice. • The HOS/HOG pair will always include the effective ruler of the country, even if for a period this is the commander of foreign occupying forces. • The HOS and/or HOG must rule over a significant part of the country’s territory. • The HOS and/or HOG must be a resident of the country — governments in exile are not listed. • By implication, if you are considering a semi-sovereign territory, such as a colony or an annexed territory, the HOS and/or HOG will be a person located in the territory in question, not in the capital of the colonizing/annexing country. • Only HOSs and/or HOGs who stay in power for 100 consecutive days or more will be included in the surveys. • A country may go without a HOG but there will be no period listed with only a HOG and no HOS. • If a HOG also becomes HOS (interim or full), s/he is moved to the HOS list and removed from the HOG list for the duration of their tenure.
    [Show full text]
  • Telechargez La Note De Recherche En
    2020 juin – 51 NDR n° NDR CHRONIQUE D’UNE COMMUNICATION CONFLICTUELLE DE FIN DE REGNE EN RDC Acte I : Effet contagieux de l’idéologie contestataire. De la chute du Mur de Berlin à l’Accord de la Saint-Sylvestre Par Vincent MUKWEGE [email protected] Licencié en Communications sociales, Licencié en Philosophie et Diplômé de Maîtrise en Administration Publique & Etudes du Développement. Il a travaillé à Kigali (Rwanda) de 2014 à 2018 en qualité de Communications Officer de la Collaboration Transfrontalière du Grand Virunga (GVTC). Il est actuellement chercheur indépendant et Directeur du Bureau d’Etudes & Actions en Communication (BEACCOM) Rwanda-RDC. Expertise : Communication ; Fracture numérique ; Philosophie du Développement& Environnement ; Administration Publique & Bonne Gouvernance en RDC et dans la région des Grands Lacs. Institut de Recherche et Enseignement sur la Paix www.thinkingafrica.org • [email protected] SOMMAIRE RÉSUME Ce papier de recherche prend appui sur une Résume .......................................................................... 2 chronique de la communication conflictuelle de fin I. Introduction ................................................................ 3 de règne en République Démocratique du Congo II. Aspects théoriques et conceptuels : Légalité, (RDC). La communication conflictuelle est un volet légitimité et contestation du pouvoir politique ......... 7 de la communication politique, caractérisée par des III. Construction du corpus, présentation et affrontements, des discours contradictoires
    [Show full text]
  • Lindström, Camilla.Pdf
    A University of Sussex PhD thesis Available online via Sussex Research Online: http://sro.sussex.ac.uk/ This thesis is protected by copyright which belongs to the author. This thesis cannot be reproduced or quoted extensively from without first obtaining permission in writing from the Author The content must not be changed in any way or sold commercially in any format or medium without the formal permission of the Author When referring to this work, full bibliographic details including the author, title, awarding institution and date of the thesis must be given Please visit Sussex Research Online for more information and further details Weak States, Strong Elites and Acquiescent Donors: State-building and aid relationships in the Democratic Republic of Congo 2006-2016 Camilla Lindström A dissertation submitted in fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in Development Studies of the University of Sussex Institute of Development Studies University of Sussex December 2019 iv UNIVERSITY OF SUSSEX CAMILLA LINDSTROM DPHIL DEVELOPMENT STUDIES WEAK STATES, STRONG ELITES AND ACQUIESCENT DONORS: STATE-BUILDING AND AID RELATIONSHIPS IN THE DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF CONGO 2006-2016 Summary This thesis contributes to theories about aid negotiations by researching how development assistance for state-building has been negotiated in a fragile state, the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). Using qualitative methods, mainly in the form of semi-structured interviews, I explore how, in the context of the various structural factors that surround the negotiations, the different actors have tried to influence these factors to their advantage and what strategies the donors and the government have used to reach their objectives.
    [Show full text]
  • Discours D'inverstiture Du Premier Ministre
    DISCOURS-PROGRAMME DU GOUVERNEMENT DEVANT L’ASSEMBLÉE NATIONALE PRÉSENTÉ PAR SON EXCELLENCE MONSIEUR LE PREMIER MINISTRE ILUNGA ILUNKAMBA Honorable Présidente de l’Assemblée Nationale ; Honorables Membres du Bureau ; Honorables Députés Nationaux, élus légitimes du peuple congolais, En venant me présenter aujourd’hui devant votre auguste Chambre, conformément aux dispositions de l’article 90 de la Constitution, et suivant les traditions mieux assises de notre jeune démocratie, j’ai l’insigne honneur de partager la joie de concourir à la mise en œuvre d’un exercice républicain, consistant à solliciter la confiance des élus directs de notre peuple sur le programme d’action soumis ce jour à votre éclairée et souveraine appréciation. Permettez-moi, avant toute chose, de rendre grâce et de glorifier Celui à qui nous devons le souffle de vie, l’Éternel Dieu Tout-puissant, Maître des temps et des circonstances, qui a permis cet instant solennel. C’est aussi pour moi l’occasion de vous exprimer, à titre personnel, le double sentiment de fierté et de responsabilité que j’éprouve en ce grand moment de l’histoire de notre pays, la République Démocratique du Congo. Fierté de vivre dans un pays béni, qui a toujours su, en dépit des faiblesses qui jalonnent son histoire, déjouer les pronostics apocalyptiques de tous genres jetés sur son sort et, en même temps, s’offrir des perspectives audacieuses de nature à redonner espoir et foi en l’avenir aux masses populaires de toutes les couches sociales, celles des plus faibles en tête. Responsabilité réelle parce qu’en tant que citoyen, je suis autant honoré de devoir conduire, en qualité de Premier Ministre, le Gouvernement de la République au lendemain de joutes électorales à forte sensation à travers l’ensemble du territoire national.
    [Show full text]
  • CIG Template
    Country Policy and Information Note Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC): Opposition to the government Version 1.0 November 2016 Preface This note provides country of origin information (COI) and policy guidance to Home Office decision makers on handling particular types of protection and human rights claims. This includes whether claims are likely to justify the granting of asylum, humanitarian protection or discretionary leave and whether – in the event of a claim being refused – it is likely to be certifiable as ‘clearly unfounded’ under s94 of the Nationality, Immigration and Asylum Act 2002. Decision makers must consider claims on an individual basis, taking into account the case specific facts and all relevant evidence, including: the policy guidance contained with this note; the available COI; any applicable caselaw; and the Home Office casework guidance in relation to relevant policies. Country Information The COI within this note has been compiled from a wide range of external information sources (usually) published in English. Consideration has been given to the relevance, reliability, accuracy, objectivity, currency, transparency and traceability of the information and wherever possible attempts have been made to corroborate the information used across independent sources, to ensure accuracy. All sources cited have been referenced in footnotes. It has been researched and presented with reference to the Common EU [European Union] Guidelines for Processing Country of Origin Information (COI), dated April 2008, and the European Asylum Support Office’s research guidelines, Country of Origin Information report methodology, dated July 2012. Feedback Our goal is to continuously improve our material. Therefore, if you would like to comment on this note, please email the Country Policy and Information Team.
    [Show full text]
  • 31 03 18 N.Pdf
    31 03 18/ REVUE DE LA PRESSE CONGOLAISE DE CE SAMEDI (CongoForum) Chers Visiteurs et Abonnés, Si vous désirez vous INSCRIRE (ou inscrire un ami) à notre Revue de la Presse, afin de la recevoir quotidiennement par courriel dans votre boîte, rien de plus simple ! Envoyez un courriel à l’adresse [email protected] en mentionnant simplement « Revue de presse » (et l’adresse, si ce n’est pas celle d’où vous écrivez). C’est tout !!! Nous avons vraiment besoin de votre soutien financier. Comme vous le savez, nous avons failli devoir renoncer à la gratuité des envois. Ce serait regrettable, alors qu’il suffirait que chaque abonné verse 1€ par an pour perpétuer ce service de CongoForum, un site web unique qui existe depuis octobre 2005. Nous préférons donc faire appel à vous pour que vous cotisiez librement. Merci de verser votre soutien sur le compte BE53 7380 1810 3353 EUR de l’asbl CongoForum, ou d’utiliser sur notre site le bouton « Donate » et ses options « crédit » ou « Paypal ». Si au contraire vous souhaitez vous DESINSCRIRE, c’est encore plus simple. Cliquez sur le lien « ad hoc » ci-dessous,en fin de document. Pour plus de détails sur l’actualité congolaise, voyez www.CongoForum.be Encore des questions? Mme Helène Madinda vous répondra: [email protected]. SOMMAIRE Dans la presse parue à Kinshasa en ce samedi 31 mars 2018, figurent principalement des commentaires sur la mort à Bruxelles de l’ancien Premier ministre, le sénateur André Bo- Boliko, sur l’élection de Félix Tshisekedi à la tête de l’UDPS ainsi que sur la question de la double nationalité.
    [Show full text]
  • A Troubled Transition in the Dr Congo
    OPINION POLL A TROUBLED TRANSITION IN THE DR CONGO APRIL 2017 BERCI BUREAU D’ETUDES DE RECHERCHES ET DE CONSULTING INTERNATIONAL CONTENTS 4 6 8 INTRODUCTION KEYS FINDINGS GENERAL POLITICAL SENTIMENT 16 24 34 POLITICAL ELECTORAL INTERNATIONAL PROCESS PROCESS INVOLVEMENTS 38 METHODOLOGY INTRODUCTION THE DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF THE CONGO IS AT A CROSSROADS Having failed to carry out elections by the led by the main coalition opposition group, end of 2016, as required by the constitution, the Rassemblement des forces politiques et the government engaged in two separate sociales acquises au changement, (Rassop). rounds of negotiations with the opposition, the first facilitated by the first facilitated by On February 1, 2017, the veteran opposition former Togolese prime minister Edem Kodjo leader Etienne Tshisekedi passed away, under the auspices of the African Union and leading to divisions within his UDPS the second brokered by the Catholic Church. party (l’Union pour la Démocratie et le The first peace deal, called l’Accord de la Progrès Social). On April 7, President Cité de l’OUA, produced a power-sharing Kabila named Bruno Tshibala, the former government between President Joseph deputy secretary general of UDPS who had Kabila’s coalition and part of the opposition recently fallen out with his party, as prime led by Vital Kamerhe. On November 17, minister. The Rassemblement, led until his 2016 Samy Badibanga, a former opposition death by Etienne Tshisekedi, denounced politician, was named prime minister. what it described as a violation of the New Year’s Eve agreement. The governments That peace deal excluded much of the of the United Kingdom, France, Belgium, opposition.
    [Show full text]
  • Leadership and Citizenship in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC): a Christian-Ethical Appraisal
    Leadership and citizenship in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC): a Christian-ethical appraisal CJ Mualaba orcid.org 0000-0002-9608-0409 Dissertation accepted in fulfilment of the requirements for the degree Master of Theology in Ethics. at the North-West University Supervisor: Prof K Vorster Graduation ceremony: July 2020 Student number: 31475922 ACRONYMS AND ABBREVIATIONS 1. ABAKO: Association (socio-cultural) of Bakongo (i. e. whose members are all people from Kongo Central province). 2. ADF-NALU: A group of rebels from Uganda operating actively in the eastern part of the DRC, along with other rebels groups such as FDLR, PARECO, RLA, LMIA and Maï-Maï 3. AFDL: Alliance of Democratic Forces for the Liberation (of Congo), a political movement created in Lemera in 1996 first in order to obtain the Congolese nationality for Banyamulenge people, then to set Congo-Kinshasa free from the dictatorship of Mobutu. 4. BBC: British Broadcast Corporation 5. CENCO: National Conference of Congolese Roman Catholic Bishops 6. CDF: Congo (Democratic Republic)’s currency/francs 7. DGM: Direction Générale de Migration/General Direction for Immigration 8. DRC: The Democratic Republic of Congo 9. EME: Emerging Market Economy 10. FARDC: Armed Forces of the DRC i. e. Congolese army 11. GKSA: Gereformeerde Kerke in Suid-Afrika/Reformed Churches in South Africa 12. i. e. : That is to say 13. MDGs: Millennium Development Goals 14. MIN. EPSP: Ministère de l’Enseignement Primaire, Secondaire et Professionnel (English : Ministry of Primary, Srcondary and Vocational Education) 15. M23: Rebels’ military group created in the eastern Congo on 23 March 2013. 16.
    [Show full text]
  • The DR Congo in Focus
    Vol.8(5), pp. 55-63, October 2017 DOI: 10.5897/IJPDS2017.0309 Article Number: EDFD16566585 International Journal of Peace and Development ISSN 2141–6621 Copyright © 2017 Studies Author(s) retain the copyright of this article http://www.academicjournals.org/IJPDS Review National dialogue as solution to African problems: The D. R. Congo in focus Jean-Marie Mbombo Centre for Peace and Strategic Studies, University of Ilorin, Nigeria. Recieved 25 July, 2017; Accepted 13 October, 2017 Some African leaders cause problems in Africa when they breach peace accords, rig elections or manipulate their respective constitutions in order to remain in power indefinitely. At the same time, they expect a frustrated opposition to come along through national dialogues and help to quench the fire which they have deliberately ignited. It appears however that lasting solutions to political crisis are yet to be found in countries such as Burundi, Congo and Gabon to name but a few. This paper focuses on a series of actions initiated by the government of Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) in recent times. Such actions included the reluctance of the Kabila administration to fund the Independent Electoral Commission, the Constitutional Court’s interpretation of Article 70 of the Constitution that ruled in favour of the incumbent to remain in power until a new president is elected and the inconclusive nature of the national dialogue to discuss the future of the country beyond 2016. The study relies on secondary data (review of extant literature) and adopts a paradigm of elite clientelism in order to make sense of the current political stalemate.
    [Show full text]